Hannah's Lemon Squares

Because I am a part of this generation:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html

I have a lot of friends avoiding the real life at various law schools around the country.  

Just kidding, they aren't slackers, and (most) aren't living at home, but I do have friends all suffering through the same 1L pain across the US.  They all happen to like to cook, and so once in a while I'll post a "celebrity shot," or a post from another law school student.

Here's Hannah's Lemon Squares. Enjoy!

Hannah's Lemon Squares

It was nearing Friday sundown and after a week full of hours of class and my first memo assignment, I needed a creative outlet. I also happened to have a craving for something sweet. That's when the idea hit me. I was going to whip up some lemon squares and treat myself after another long week of first year law school.

I did a quick Google search and I used the following recipe for inspiration:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222664

At only 118 calories each, I figured I was on the right track to a fabulous and fuss-free Friday night dessert...

Here are the ingredients and proportions I used:

• Crust:
• 1/8  cup  granulated sugar
• 2  tablespoons of  butter, softened
• 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
  Topping:
• 2  large eggs
• 1/8  cup  granulated sugar
• 4  teaspoons  grated lemon rind
• 1/3  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  powdered sugar

Preparation

The first step was to preheat the oven to 350°.
Then I got to work on the crust. Using my Cuisinart mixer for the first time, I beat 1/8 cup of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter at medium speed until it was nice and creamy in texture.
Next, I added the flour into the sugar and butter mixture until the consistency resembled that of small crumbs. I couldn't believe it but my crust mixture was complete! There's no doubt my Cuisinart made it quick and easy.
After, I emptied the crust into a baking pan and gently pressed it down with my fingers. I put the crust into the oven at 350° for about 15 minutes (until I noticed a light brown color).

While the crust was in the oven, I started on mixing my lemon batter. First, I grated my lemons, using their fragrant rind. Then, I beat eggs in my Cuisinart, added in the sugar, the grated lemon rind, fresh squeezed lemon juice, flour, a dash of salt, and powdered sugar.
In the meantime, I noticed the crust was ready. I removed it from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled, I poured my lemon batter over the crust. My kitchen was starting to smell like dessert.

I baked the crust and lemon batter at 350° for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until the lemon topping was set.

I cooled the dessert on a wire rack and then I added a decorative touch by sifting powdered sugar over the top.

The last step was to carefully cut medium to small size squares out of the pan and finally, to enjoy!

I know that I'll be making these squares again soon. Not only were they simple, but more importantly, my bite-size treats were a sweet and rewarding way to end a tough week. Bon appetite!